Thelma Houston Albums (10)
'A Woman's Touch'
Release Date 8/14/2007
Tracks 10
Label Shout Factory
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For her first new album in 17 years, Motown and disco veteran Thelma Houston doesn't exactly dive into the deep water, but instead sort of gets her feet wet by putting her touch on a series of soul and pop covers from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s originally done by male singers Houston has long admired, giving these classic songs, as the album's title states, a woman's touch. The end result is sort of a mixed bag, but it is good to have this fine singer back in the game. A Woman's Touch has a rather smoothed-out, thin sound, and producer Jeff Palo obviously had some budget concerns to deal with, which is probably why there are programmed horns here rather than the real deal, but Houston's voice is what truly matters, and thankfully she is in fine form, bringing a blues approach and a gospel fire to the table. She shines on a pair of Marvin Gaye tunes, the powerful "Distant Lover" and a slowed-down, completely unique version of "Ain't That Peculiar" that recasts the song with a tone of weary resignation into a whole new realm. Houston also sticks her old disco shoes back on for driving renditions of Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and the Luther Vandross-penned "Never Too Much," and tackles pop fare like Jimmy Webb's (who produced her debut album back in 1969) "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and Sting's "Brand New Day" with pleasing if not exactly groundbreaking results. In the end, A Woman's Touch feels a bit like a test run for Houston, a way of easing back into things, and for that, it's a fine outing. Aside from her magnificent version of "Ain't That Peculiar," though, most of what's here is treading water, and Houston is too good a singer to do that for very long. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Thelma Houston raised a few eyebrows in 1990 when this album was released. She still had a soulful, galvanizing voice, and she was equally good at fitting into pop, dance, or R&B contexts. While the album itself wasn't a great effort and was strictly aimed at the crossover market, thanks to producer Richard Perry, the single "Out of My Hands" was one of Houston's best songs and among the better unpublicized gems of '90. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
'Never Gonna Be Another One'
Release Date 1/1/1981
Tracks 8
Label RCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Whoever decides to put out a multi-disc Thelma Houston package should include a few of these babies. While some selections like "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" (which, oddly, was also on Ready to Roll [issued prior to this LP]) are a bit formulaic, Houston's fiery vocals never are. "I Want to Go Back There Again," "Imaginary Paradise," and Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright's "Just a Little Piece of You" got lost on this poor-selling album. Motown tries to duplicate Thelma's successful remake of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Don't Leave Me This Way" with the Miracles' "Love Machine"; it didn't make much noise in the States, but was so popular in Japan they renamed this album after it. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Motown released one more Thelma Houston album after this one; then Ms. "Don't Leave Me This Way" jumped to RCA Records. Ready to Roll has live and dead spots. The uptempo "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning," the only 45 release, is a fast, funky disco number with potential that somehow had chart phobia. "Midnight Mona," a sassy upbeat number, lacked exploitation; Motown also neglected "Can't We Try," a pleasant shuffler, and two classy ballads, "I Wanna Start My Life All Over Again" and "Am I Expecting Too Much." ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With quality production from the mid-'70s, it includes great dance tracks. ~ Rick A. Bueche, All Music Guide
'I've Got the Music in Me'
Release Date 1/1/1975
Tracks 8
Label Sheffield Lab
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
An interesting, if uneven, release. Thelma Houston teamed with the band Pressure Cooker in the early '80s, doing a fusion/instrumental pop/R&B/soul work for Sheffield Labs. That affiliation ensured that it would be brilliantly engineered, and it sounded spectacular, especially for an early '80s release. Unfortunately, much of the musical output didn't match the mastering brilliance, despite an energetic effort from Houston. But her voice was too much for what was basically a warm-up caliber backing group. It would have been great to hear Houston doing these songs supported by The Tower of Power. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Jimmy Webb produces this set, including a cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash." ~ Bil Carpenter, All Music Guide
